A gaming machine can be arranged to enable a player to win a jackpot award while playing on the gaming machine, for example in response to a random event occurring. Such jackpot awards are pre-determined by a jackpot controller associated with the gaming machine.
In some arrangements, the jackpot controller uses a progressive pool amount to determine when to award the jackpot prize to a player. In one example, the progressive pool amount is set to a base amount, such as $10,000, and a portion of each wager made on the gaming machine, or on a linked gaming machine, is put towards the progressive pool amount.
The jackpot controller will select a random value between two predefined amounts, for example between $50,000 and $60,000, and award the jackpot prize to a player whose wager causes the progressive pool amount to equal or exceed the random value selected by the jackpot controller. For example, if the jackpot controller randomly selects a value of $57,585, the player causing the progressive pool amount to equal or exceed $57,585 will be awarded the jackpot prize.
Once the jackpot prize has been awarded, the progressive pool amount is reset to the base amount, which is $10,000 in this example, and the process is repeated. Players who know that a jackpot was hit recently will know that it will take a long time for the progressive pool amount to reach jackpot levels again, and may avoid playing gaming machines that are linked to a particular jackpot controller that recently awarded a jackpot prize.